Rotary air intake valve for reso-jet motors



May 23, 1950 H. R. JORDAN 2,503,396

ROTARY AIR INTAKE VALVE FOR RESO-JET MOTORS Filed Aug. 2, 1945 *1 N g am if Q i m R: h

Patented May 23, 1950 ROTARY AIR INTAKE VALVE-Fox BESO-JET MOTORS HenryRQJordan, United States Navy. I l I Application August 2,1345, Serialnajsqajss r I v onnn. (o1. Gil-35.6)

(Granted under the act of March 188 amended April 30, 1928; 370 0.

This invention relates to an improvement in valves for *reso-jet motorsor let motors that operate in resonance-or cyclically.

An object of this invention is to provide a rotary air intake valve fora reso-jet motor that is positively phased with the cyclical operationof the motor.

Another object of this invention is to provide a valve for a reso-jetmotor that reduces failure, due to burning, to amlnimum.

A further object of this invention is to provide a rotary air intakevalve for a reso-jet motor that will give an increased efficiency to themotor.

At the present time reso-jet motors, such as operate in resonance orcyclically, have a reed or resilient valve that opens to admit air intothe combustion chamber when a low pressure area is created within theexplosion chamber, due to the mass movement of gases out the tail pipeand close when the pressure within the chamber builds up during theexplosion. This type of motor has frequently been referred to as the V-lor buzz bomb. Valves of the resilient or reed type used in these motorsheretofore have been found to burn out after relatively short periods ofoperation. In some instances the valves being burned, after only a fewminutes of operation, to such a degree that the efficiency of the motorwould fall off as much as 50 per cent. The valve embodied in thisinvention eliminates this difficulty to such an extent as to makeburning of the valves negligible. A careful examination of a valve,embodied in this invention in use on a resojet motor after almost ahundred hours of operation, showed no indication of burning whatsoever.

Other objects and advantages of thi invention will become apparent asthe specification proceeds and is considered in connection with theaccompanying claim and drawing wherein like characters designate likeparts throughout, and wherein:

Fig. 1 is a cross sectional view of a conventional reso -jet motor withthe conventional reed or resilient valve replaced by the rotary valveem" bodied in this invention;

Fig. 2 is an end plan View of the explosion chamber of a conventionalreso-jet motor showing the rotary valve embodied in this inventionaffixed thereto; and

Fig. 3 is an end plan view of a. modification of the rotary valveembodied in this invention.

Referring now to the drawing, wherein for the purpose of illustration,is shown a. preferred embodiment of this invention, the numeral 5designates a tail pipe or'resonant exhaust tube of the conventional resojet, motor and the numeral 6 designates a'. combustion chamber incommunication with the said ex aust.tube. A spark lu or other electricalcharge firingfldclice 1 is ,PIQ- vided in the combustion: chamber. asshown. An end plate 8 is provided overfthe"end.,of the said combustionchamber- 6,oppositetheiexhaust tube 5. Communicating with thecombustiorichamber 6 and rigidly affixed; thereto,- in. any suitable means or castintegral therewithfis an air intake manifold 9. A fuel intake manifoldl0 having spray nozzles or jets it-lisrqvided in the front end of thesaid nipple, as show'rnadmits fuel into the said explosion chamber.

Bearings l2, of the highspeed type, such as high speed roller or carbonbearings, are affixed to the nipple 9 as shown and rotatably carryashaft l3 having a pulley I4 or other suitable driving mechanism affixedto one thereof. Asynchronous electric motor MA drives the pulley M at apredetermined positive rate. Carried by. and rotating with the shaft 13within the nipple 9 is an S shaped butterfly valve l5. Thecircumferential configuration of the said-valve may be round, square, orrectangular depending on the shape of the air intake manifold. (In theillustration shown by Fig. 1 the valve rotate counterclockwise.) Atrombone or sliding sleeve l6 provided on the end of the exhaust tube 5,as shown, permits varying of the frequency at which the exhaust tube 5resonates, by increasing or decreasing the length of the said exhausttube 5.

In operation, the reso-jet motor operating with the rotary valveembodied by this invention, fires synchronously as does the conventionalreed or resilient type valve or motor. Fuel and air are mixed and burnedin the combustion chamber, forward thrust of the motor is created bythis burning and the escaping gases escaping through the exhaust tubecreate a low pressure area as the gas mass moves within the tail pipe toscav- 4 enge the explosion chamber. The exhaust tube is constructed sothat the gases in motion within the said tube are caused to resonate atacertain fixed frequency. The returning wave front, during theoscillation of the said gas mass, builds up the pressure in thecombustion chamber for the next succeeding explosion.

The rotating valve I5 is phased to rotate as nearly at the samefrequency as the gas mass is resonating in the exhaust tube, andconsequently rotating at the same frequency at which the explosionchamber is firing, as is possible.

It has been found by experimentation that it is extremely difiicult tophase this valve during assembly in exact resonance with the exhausttube and so to bring the two, the valve and the ex haust tube, into amore perfect resonance, a slid-- ing tail pipe or trombone I6 isprovided on the end of the exhaust tube 5. By sliding the trombone in orout (that is "to sayilay leng'thening or shortening the exhaust tube ortail pipe) the 1 for rotating said valve at a constant speed apfrequencyof the exhaust tube can be varied to I j bring the said tube into phasewith the rotating valve l5. The valve is phased to be :in 1a ing thescavenge and intake portion of "thlicyiiib. 1 I

It is to be understood thatirheromor myjin vention, herewith shown anddescribed, is .to b'e proximating the speed of resonance of said motor,whereby the wave reaction in said combustion chamber will effectivelyassist in the rotation of said valve thereby reducing the required powerin the rotating means, and an axially adjustable telescoping sleeve onthe end of said tail ipipe.for accurately adjusting the lengththerestantially closed position during the compression and firing of thegas and air and to be open durtaken as a preferred example of the 'samaand i that various changes in the shape,r-sim :and arrangement of partsmay beresortefl to, without departing from the spirit of my invention,or the scope of the subjoinedclaim.

"The invention described "herein maybe manufacturedand used by'orf'fortire Government of thereon or therefor.

What'I claim'is: I Areso-jet motor comprising an "inlet, a combustionchamber anil-a' tail pipe-arranged in norof tothe speed of said constantspeed rotating means for optimum eificiency.

HENRY R. JORDAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the me ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,102,559 Kadenaoy Dec. 14, 1937FOREIGNPAI'ENTS Country .Date 625,420 GreatZBritain Aug. 28, 1940412,478 France May 3, 1910 844,442 France. Apr. 24, 1939

